


Pieces Of A Puzzle

by gehirnstuerm



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst and Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-10
Updated: 2011-05-10
Packaged: 2017-10-19 05:54:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/197665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gehirnstuerm/pseuds/gehirnstuerm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny used to have a mohawk. Steve is bothered by this new found knowledge, because he has issues. Lots of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pieces Of A Puzzle

**Author's Note:**

> So I was looking at pictures of [young Scott Caan with a mohawk](http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i124/gehirnstuerm/ScottCaan.jpg) and thought, "Hey, maybe Danny used to have a mohawk, too! Hahaha, hilarious!" - and then the whole thing turned out kind of angsty. I don't know how that happened. Anyway, huge thanks to **wattle_neurotic** , who beta'd this even though she was home sick, and **LacrimaDraconis** for the seal of approval! :D

“Your hair mystifies me. Almost as much as your ties,” Steve declares with a grin, but Danny just rolls his eyes and leans back in his chair. “Seriously, I’m curious!” he tries again. “Were you born this way? Baby Danno with the sleeked back hair and a little tie?”

Danny sighs. “You’re very funny. A real comedian.”

“I know. My question still stands, though.” Steve grins and turns towards Rachel. “Can you shed some light on this matter?”

Danny huffs, undoubtedly begrudging his cruel fate that has Steve and his ex-wife ganging up on him. And judging from Rachel’s smirk and the twinkle in her eye, that’s exactly what’s happening right now.

It’s nice that they can do this now, just sitting and talking like old friends. Steve knows it’s good for both Danny and Rachel, which means it’s good for Gracie, too. Steve and Danny had just come to drop off a very tired Grace and Rachel had invited them to stay for a drink. Unthinkable a few months ago, but now they’ve been sitting here for almost two hours, just joking around and bickering a little. Steve likes Rachel and her sharp wit; he understands what Danny used to see in her and still sees, in a way. They must have made one hell of a couple.

Rachel laughs. “Oh, when Daniel and I met, he already looked like this.” She darts a challenging grin at her ex-husband and Danny answers it with a half-hearted scowl. “But I know he had a very special look in high school.”

“Rachel, don’t!” Danny warns, but the corners of his lips are twitching.

“Was it a mullet? Please tell me it was a mullet!” Steve pleads and he knows he is grinning like a dork now. He can’t help it, though - just imagining Danny with a mullet cracks him up.

“No, it wasn’t a mullet.” Rachel smirks and pauses to draw out the suspension and watch Danny squirm. “It was a mohawk.”

Steve blinks. “You’re joking.” It’s not a question, because it can’t be true. He can imagine Danny as a dorky teenager with a mullet, but a mohawk? Never.

“I’m not joking, Steven. There are pictures!” Rachel insists. “Daniel was quite a rebel, from what I hear,” she adds with an amused sideways glance in direction of her ex-husband, who is burying his face in his hands with a groan.

“Huh,” Steve says, because really, he doesn’t have anything more eloquent to add.

 

***

 

The drive back to Steve’s house is quiet, because Steve’s mind is still busy processing the new piece of information about his partner.

Danny Williams, the man who never goes to work without his tie, the man with the immaculately combed back hair, the man who’s rarely seen in jeans or any other casual clothes, used to have a mohawk, of all things!

Steve can’t really wrap his head around it and truth to be told, the whole thing bothers him, even though it probably shouldn’t. He should use this new found knowledge to mock the hell out of Danny, but instead Steve’s mind is reeling with the implications of it. It’s like he’s accidentally stumbled across a whole new side of Danny and it’s hard to reconcile with all the other things he knows about him.

And that’s the point, really. He thought he knew Danny. They became partners less than a year ago and the other still unlabeled thing between them has only been going on for a few weeks, but the point stands. As much as he’d like to, Steve knows it’s impossible to know every single bit about a person. He loves that Danny can surprise him and that there’s so much more to him than meets the eye. Steve likes figuring out what makes Danny tick, finding out all the little details and putting together the puzzle pieces - except now there’s a huge piece that doesn’t fit.

His emotions must show on his face, or maybe he’s just gripping the steering wheel too tightly, because Danny is lifting an eyebrow at him, the unspoken question is evident. Steve decides it’s best not to answer.

“Okay, enough. What’s with the face again?” Danny demands, his hands gesturing vaguely in Steve’s direction.

“What face? I don’t have a face!” Steve argues, trying to buy to buy some time.

Danny won’t let the issue go until he’s satisfied, but what can he possibly say? “It’s like I discovered your secret identity and I can’t deal with secrets, because I’m really fucked in the head,” doesn’t cut it, and “I’m fretting, because you had a mohawk in high school and now I’m insecure and feel like I don’t know you at all!” is even worse.

Steve may be emotionally stunted, but at least he’s fully aware of it.

Danny isn’t yelling for once, but even though Steve keeps his eyes fixed on the road, he can feel Danny looking at him.

Finally Steve clears his throat. “Can I see pictures? Of the mohawk, I mean.”

Danny doesn’t say anything for a moment, but then Steve can see him nod from the corner of his eye. “Fine,” Danny says. “Let’s go to my place. I have to get fresh clothes anyway.”

 

***

 

It takes Danny a while to rifle through a box of old photos, but eventually he’s able to present Steve with a little selection.

So it’s true. Danny Williams used to have a mohawk - and he looked good, Steve has to admit.

Having this younger version of Danny looking back at him is a little strange. He’s leaner than present day Danny, less bulky, but he’s looking fit and muscular and awfully sure of himself. Teenage Danny is wearing torn jeans and ratty t-shirts, in one picture he is holding a cigarette and in another one he’s looking awfully proud of his bloody nose.

This is neither the Danny Steve knows now, nor the Danny who wanted to be a cop his whole life and used to arrest his little brother as a kid. It’s like Steve is suddenly missing a huge chunk out of Danny’s life and it’s not a nice feeling at all.

But on the other hand, there are so many familiar things about this boy. Steve recognizes the way he smiles or scowls at the camera, the expressive hand gestures and of course the blue of his eyes.

Danny’s voice shakes Steve out of his reverie. “Satisfied?” he asks, sounding genuinely curious.

“I don’t know,” Steve admits. “I hadn’t expected that... it doesn’t … it doesn’t seem very like you.”

Danny laughs softly. “I have hidden depths, babe. What you see is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Steve can’t suppress a little wince and Danny must have noticed it, because his eyes widen a little.

“Wait. Is that it?” Danny asks and there’s amazement coloring his voice. “It’s like the lunch thing, isn’t it? I swear, sometimes it’s like you’re from another planet!”

It’s just another example of the fact that Danny has become freakishly good at reading him like an open book and Steve really doesn’t know whether to be concerned or relieved. Either way there’s no sense in pretending he doesn’t know what Danny is talking about. Steve knows his obsession with the contents of Danny’s lunch bag is ridiculous, thank you very much. But his urge to be informed about every aspect of Danny’s life has only become stronger since they’ve started their thing, their relationship, whatever it is.

“I thought I knew you,” Steve murmurs, decidedly not looking at Danny.

There’s another snort, before one of Danny’s hands gently curls around the nape of Steve’s neck. “You do know me,” Danny says, his voice warm and reassuring. “Just because you didn’t know about all my high school escapades, it doesn’t mean that I’m some crazy Jekyll and Hyde person. Tie by day, mohawk by night!” This makes Steve grin despite himself, but Danny must sense he isn’t completely convinced. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll tell you the story behind the mohawk,” Danny offers. “How does that sound?”

“Sounds good,” Steve answers and leans a little more into Danny’s touch.

“There isn’t much to tell, actually. You know I always wanted to be a cop. I was a good boy.” Danny grins and Steve can’t help but return it. “Anyway, high school is a weird time,” Danny continues. “You know how it is. There was a lot of pressure, I was a little sick of being the role model for Matty and my sisters, so I guess I acted out a little.”

“Hence the mohawk,” Steve says.

“Hence the mohawk,” Danny confirms. “And what can I say? It was also the same year when I realized I had a huge crush on Martin Robinson from my baseball team. I think there was some overcompensating going on, too.” He smiles a little sheepishly and then shrugs. “Well, that’s it. I got my shit together, shaved off the mohawk and became a cop like I always wanted. You know the rest.”

Steve nods slowly, because it’s true. He really knows the rest. All available pieces of the big puzzle that is Danny Williams fit neatly together again and one more mystery is solved. He’s feeling a lot better now, he really is. But there’s still a little annoying voice inside his head wondering what else is hidden from his view, not only details from Danny’s life but also his thoughts and feelings. Especially his feelings.

“Oh my God, you’re still brooding!” Danny exclaims, startling Steve a little. “Listen. I know you are a crazy person with a shitload of issues. Trust me, I know that. I know you’re a control freak, I know you’re not too great with secrets that aren’t your own, which means it’s hard for you to give people - meaning me - some space.”

Once again, Danny has proven to have more insight into Steve’s mind than he should have, and his words make Steve flinch and duck his head. He’s afraid of what Danny is going to say next, even though Danny’s hand is still resting against the nape of his neck.

“You really are a piece of work.” Danny heaves a sigh. “I’m not saying I’m completely okay with that or that you don’t need to change some of your weird ways, okay? That would be crazy talk. But I’m willing to meet you halfway and share a few more secrets with you.”

Steve looks up in surprise. “Like what?”

Danny pretends to think long and hard, an amused twinkle in his eye. “Oh, let’s see. I can tell you that I quit smoking when Rachel got pregnant with Grace, but I still crave for a cigarette occasionally. And I hate watching Disney movies, not because I don’t like kids movies, but because they usually make me cry.”

“Really?” Steve can’t suppress a grin, because the thought of Danny sniffling along to The Lion King might keep him entertained for days. It’s also pretty adorable.

“Yes, really! You can stop smirking now,” Danny grumbles. “Anyway. Here’s the most embarrassing secret and you must swear to take it to your grave.” When Steve nods solemnly, Danny lowers his voice a little. “I haven’t told anyone, because it’s really sick and twisted, but... there’s this guy who stashes grenades in my car, obsesses over my lunch, insults my wardrobe and it’s basically a huge pain in the ass - but I’m stupidly in love with him against all better judgement.”

Danny’s statement takes a moment to sink in, but when it does, a pleasant warmth is settling in his belly and Steve can feel a huge grin spreading over his face. He’s probably looking ridiculous, but he doesn’t care, because it’s like a huge weight is lifted off his chest.

“You’re such a dork,” Danny groans, but it comes out fond, which makes Steve smile even more.

When Danny rolls his eyes and finally kisses him, really kisses him like he means every word he just said, all of Steve’s thoughts about puzzle pieces and secrets and hidden depths don’t seem quite so scary anymore.

And maybe, just maybe, not all secrets are bad.


End file.
